


The Symbol of Life and the Omen of Death

by sarahsharpe1231



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: F/M, phoenix!parrish
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-29
Updated: 2015-06-29
Packaged: 2018-04-06 21:01:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 4,279
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4236474
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sarahsharpe1231/pseuds/sarahsharpe1231
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lydia helps Parrish figure out what he is...and a very strong bond forms between the two of them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I began writing this the moment season 4 ended. The chemistry between Lydia Martin and Jordan Parrish is undeniable, plus I'm 100% on #teamphoenix. ;)
> 
> Out of all of my fanfics, this is definitely the one I got the best feedback on, so I really hope you guys enjoy it before season 5 premieres tonight!

It had been a long day at the Martin lake house pouring over the Bestiary and surfing the Internet. Lydia heard that Google helped Stiles discover Scott's lycanthropy, so she figured she might have some luck as well. However, after almost a full 48 hours, her and Parrish had still come up with nothing. The sun was setting and they were both losing faith.

"Maybe we should call it a night," Lydia heard Parrish say.

Her eyes were glued to the screen and she was not going to give up.

"You can go home if you want," Lydia said. "I'm fine here. I know you have a early morning at the station."

"And you have an early morning at school," Parrish said. "Come on, I'll drive you home."

Parrish pushed the screen of Lydia's laptop down and stared her right in the eyes

"Parrish..." Lydia said.

"Yeah," he responded.

"Why are your eyes glowing?" she asked.

"What are you talking about?" Parrish said.

Lydia pulled out her phone from her pocket and turned on its front-facing camera.

"Take a look," she said and handed the phone to Parrish.

He grabbed it and brought it straight to his face. After staring at it for 3 seconds, he ran into the bathroom and saw his reflection in the mirror.

"You know I'm not doing this on purpose, right?" he asked.

"Yeah. That's what I figured," Lydia said as she took her phone back from Parrish.

"Can you stop it? Do you have any control?" she asked.

"No. None," Parrish said.

All of a sudden, his breathing started to become heavy.

"Did you just make it warmer in here?" he asked.

"No," Lydia said. "Thermostat's been on 75° all afternoon."

"Then we have a problem, because my body feels like it's on fire all over again," Parrish said.

"Okay," Lydia said, trying to remain calm, "I know where we have to go."

She grabbed her bag, stuffed her laptop and the Bestiary inside, and headed out the front door. Parrish followed right behind her. She locked the door, got in her car, and turned on the engine. Parrish closed the passenger side door.

"Where are we going?" he asked.

"Well, you know that Scott works at the animal clinic, right?" Lydia asked.

"Yeah," Parrish said. "So?"

"So, let's just say his boss doesn't only specialize in cats and dogs," Lydia said.

"Wait, so you're saying Dr. Alan Deaton's some sort of...supernatural witch doctor?" Parrish asked incredulously.

"Basically," Lydia said.

Parrish leaned back in the seat and though he couldn't control the color of his eyes, he tried his best to control his breathing. Lydia looked over at him. He was scared. She was scared. But, she knew that if anyone could help, Deaton was the man for the job.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lydia takes Parrish to Deaton who, of course, knows exactly what's happening.

A half hour later, Lydia and Parrish pulled into the parking lot. He was now sweating from every part of his body and if his eyes hadn't been glowing so brightly, he would've looked like death...something Lydia knew a lot about. She turned off the engine, got out of the car, and ran around to the passenger side. She opened the door, pulled Parrish out of his seat, and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. He felt very weak, but she was determined to at least make it through the front door. Parrish was heavy enough so when they eventually made it to the front, Lydia didn't have the strength to open the door. She started knocking frantically, praying that Deaton was inside. She was so relieved when she saw a familiar face coming toward the door from the back room. After what seemed like forever, Deaton finally opened the door.

"Lydia, what are you doing here?" he asked.

"We need your help," she said.

On cue, Parrish raised his head to show Deaton his eyes. It wasn't just the heat anymore, it was actual, physical pain and Parrish was suffering. Deaton studied Parrish for a good 10 seconds and then nodded his head.

"Okay, let's get him in the back," Deaton said, wrapping Parrish's other arm around his shoulders.

When they finally got into the operating room, Lydia and Deaton sat Parrish down on the steel table. Parrish sat on the side of the table, hunched over, with his hands gripping the edge of it. His breathing got so heavy that if his abs expanded any bigger, he'd rip right through his shirt...which gave Lydia an idea.

"Take it off!" Lydia yelled.

"Take off what?" Parrish asked inbetween breaths.

"Your shirt! I'm sure you're dying in there!"

Parrish grabbed the collar and pulled the shirt over his head. Lydia's breathing then got a little heavy when she realized how amazing his six-pack was because the first and only time she saw it, it was covered in ash, but she shook the thought out of her head and went back to focusing on helping Parrish.

"Don't you have any of those ice baths left?" Lydia asked Deaton.

Without even looking at Lydia, Deaton immediately responded.

"It won't help. The heat is coming from his core. He just has to wait it out."

Parrish started grunting and moaning from all the pain he was in. Lydia looked at him and felt horrible because of how utterly helpless she was. She hated seeing him suffer, but she trusted Deaton. All of a sudden, Parrish's breathing stopped and he passed out on the table. Lydia leaned over him, terrified.

"What just happened?" she asked Deaton.

"Something truly incredible," Deaton responded and led Lydia into the waiting room.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Parrish finally learns what he is and attempts to cope with it. Thank goodness a certain banshee won't ever leave his side.

It was only 10 minutes, but it felt like 10 hours. Lydia was sitting in the waiting room texting the rest of the pack, insanely worried that Parrish wouldn't wake up. Scott and Kira offered to come over, but Lydia didn't want Parrish to be overwhelmed when he finally did come to. All of a sudden, Deaton walked over to her, asking her to come to the back. Lydia grabbed her purse and ran into the operating room. Parrish was up, his breathing and eye color back to normal.

"Thank god," Lydia said under her breath.

"Hey," Parrish said, "You're still here."

"Of course," Lydia said. "I wouldn't leave without you."

A sweet, grateful smile came across Parrish's face.

"So," Lydia said facing Deaton, "What really happened?"

"Ever heard of something called a phoenix?" Deaton asked.

"You mean the city in Arizona?" Parrish asked, completely serious.

"No," Lydia said. "It's a mythological fire bird that rises from its own ashes. Practically immortal."

"That's right," Deaton said.

Parrish cocked his eyebrow.

"Well, that would explain how I survived the fire."

He rubbed his hands over his thighs, obviously frazzled. Deaton walked over from the doorframe and sat next to Parrish.

"It's a very rare creature that only awakens once every five hundred years," he said. "You're special...in more ways than you know."

"I don't get it," Parrish said. "Why me?"

Lydia walked over to his other side.

"I ask myself that same question everyday," she said.

"It's a gene in your family lineage that you were lucky enough to inherit," Deaton said. "That heat, the pain that you felt...your wings were unfurling."

Parrish got up from the table. He couldn't believe the things he was hearing.

"Next thing I know, you're gonna tell me that I can fly," he said, crossing his arms and shaking his head.

"Not exactly," Deaton said. "But you do have great power inside of you."

"Like what?" Parrish asked, half-afraid of what the answer might be.

Deaton met Parrish at the corner of the room.

"Close your eyes," he said, "and hold your palms together."

Parrish reluctantly obeyed.

"Now," Deaton said. "Think of fire. Think of heat. Feel the flames building from within."

Parrish slowly opened his eyes and unclasped his hands.

"Woah!" Parrish yelled and shook off the fireball that had appeared in the center of his palms.

Lydia stood at the other end of the room, breathless, and Parrish tried to regain his sanity. After a minute, he was finally able to speak.

"How did you know you could stand so close?" he asked. "That I wouldn't hurt you?

"Because," Deaton said, "you wouldn't have been given these abilities if you couldn't control them and use them for good. Deputy..."

Parrish looked Deaton in the eyes.

"You've served our country. You're an enforcer of the law. Goodness is running through your veins."

The young deputy looked down at his hands, something he'd been doing a lot since he found out he wasn't human.

"So, you say I'm immortal and I obviously can't burn to death," Parrish said, ruminating on every word, "but the stab wound from the Oni...that would've killed me, right?"

Parrish hoped Deaton would answer "yes". Knowing he had at least one weakness would secure any trace of humanity he had left.

"That was before today," Deaton said. "I'm sorry to tell you, but you'll have to discover any other abilities on your own. I only have so much knowledge about your kind. All I can say is that we're lucky that Lydia and her friends were able to defeat their master just in time."

Lydia wanted to correct Deaton. It wasn't "just in time". They had already killed Allison and Aiden. Lydia didn't think she would ever be able to forgive herself for that. She walked over to Parrish and grabbed ahold of his hand.

"Jordan."

Parrish immediately looked at Lydia. It was the first time she ever called him that.

"It may seem scary now, terrifying even," Lydia said, "but trust me. We'll get through this together. I believe in you."

He let go of her hand and pulled her into a tight, warm hug. Pressed against the banshee, he could feel his heartbeat slowing down. She was all he had. He knew he wasn't alone, but he did feel like nothing in his life would ever be the same again. Moving to Beacon Hills was both a gift and a curse. He lost his humanity, but for the first time in his life, he felt like he had a real family. Growing up, he always felt isolated from his parents, which is why he didn't feel guilty going into the army. He now knew why he felt that way. He was something that they could never understand, but someone could...and she promised to never give up on him.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Parrish and Lydia talk about the future...the scary, unpredictable future.

Parrish and Lydia thanked Deaton and walked back to Lydia's Prius. When they were both inside, it was a while before either of them said anything. Parrish was just staring out the window and Lydia was debating whether or not she should even start the car. She could try her best, but in all honesty, she had no idea what he must be going through. He had power. Actual power. All she had were voices in her head. He probably thought the army was the scariest thing he ever would've had to encounter. He probably had convinced himself that the only reason he had moved to Beacon Hills was for a fresh start and not because he was supernaturally drawn here. He probably wouldn't be able to sleep tonight. Lydia finally faced him.

"Hey," she said. "Are you okay?"

He obviously wasn't. She just didn't know what else to say to get him to start talking. Parrish started shaking his head.

"You know," he said, "I'm not really sure."

He let out a little chuckle and the slightest grin appeared on his face.

"I mean, when you found out you weren't...you," Parrish said, "how did you ever go back to maintaining _any_ sense of normalcy?"

Lydia looked down at her lap. She didn't really know how to answer that question. But she tried. For Parrish, all she could do was try.

"I guess I really didn't think of it like that," Lydia said, "like I had...lost my old self, but more like I had gained something. Something that I could use...for good."

Parrish looked over at her. There was that word again: "good". He felt like no matter how many times someone said it, it wouldn't change the fact that he was terrified at the abilities he now possessed.

"And I guess Scott sort of inspires that in everyone. I was...am lucky to have friend like that."

Parrish smiled at Lydia. He loved the way she talked about her friends.

"So," Lydia said, "am I driving you back to your place or the lake house to pick up your car?"

"The lake house," he said. "Kind of need the car for work tomorrow."

"Well, that's a good sign," Lydia said, "that you want to go back to work."

Parrish started rubbing the back of his neck. He hadn't even realized what he just said...or the significance of it. Work was just something he did and didn't really think about. At least he knew that it was one true constant in his life.

"Hey," Lydia said, "it won't be that hard. Just got to keep going one day at a time."

The rest of the ride back to the lake house, the radio was on full blast. Lydia was singing along and Parrish couldn't help but laugh. She was funny. She was smart. She was brave. She was kind. After living through all that she's told him about, Lydia still had a sunny disposition and a positive outlook on life. Yeah, sure, things would be different. But Lydia Martin, crazy as it sounds (as his life starting changing the moment he met her), was his one tie back to humanity. He was grateful she was in his life. When they arrived at the lake house, Lydia unlocked the doors and Parrish unbuckled his seatbelt. He was about to get out of the car when Lydia stopped him.

"Wait!" She yelled. "You know there's one other person we need to talk to, right?"

"Yeah," Parrish said. "I've been thinking about that."

"And...?" Lydia asked.

"And I'm gonna pray that he doesn't try to blow me up, too," Parrish said with a smile.

Lydia giggled and Parrish walked over to his car.

"Bye, Deputy," Lydia yelled after him.

"Bye, Lydia," Parrish said as he got inside.

"And thank you," he said before he closed the door.

Lydia put the car back in drive and headed home, happy to know that Parrish was going to be okay. After 45 minutes, Lydia was back in her room. Before getting in her pajamas, she opened up the pack's group chat on her phone and typed in the word "Phoenix" with a winking face. She expected to hear back from someone, but got no answer. Made sense since it was passed 1am and a school night. Lydia decided that she was going to visit Parrish at the station after school. She knew that her smiling face always made his day.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Parrish has a word with the Sheriff as things start to get back to status quo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See if you can catch a throwback to a cute little moment between Kira and Liam. ;)

" _HE'S A WHAT?!?_ "

Parrish looked up from the pile of reports he'd been filing all day when he heard the Sheriff's voice booming through the station. Everyone else had gone out to lunch, but Parrish decided to stay in and continue working. It was the only way to keep himself focused and not worry about...other things. The Sheriff opened the door to his office and called Parrish inside. He got up from his desk and walked over.

"Everything okay, Sheriff?" he asked, closing the door behind him.

"You tell me," the Sheriff said and nodded to the side of the room where Stiles and Lydia were standing.

Parrish was so busy, he hadn't even seen them walk in. He furrowed his eyebrows at Lydia but she just shifted her eyes over to Stiles. Of course it was his idea to drop the bomb.

"So, you've heard," Parrish said, trying his hardest to avoid eye contact.

"Just show me," the Sheriff said.

"You sure?" Parrish asked.

"Look," the Sheriff said, "if my force is in possession of some new artillery, I need to know what we're packing."

Parrish looked around to make sure the blinds were already closed.

"Okay," he said. "Here goes nothing."

Parrish closed his eyes and clenched his fist. He took some deep breaths and, after a few moments, opened his eyes to reveal a deep, blazing orange. All of a sudden, his hand was completely engulfed in flames. The Sheriff, totally startled, took a few steps back, while Stiles had a huge grin on his face. Parrish eventually powered down and the Sheriff looked over to Stiles and Lydia.

"Guys, can you give us a moment?" he asked and both of them left the room.

"So," the Sheriff said, "you're a bird."

"Phoenix," Parrish said.

The Sheriff narrowed his eyes at Parrish.

"But bird works, too."

The Sheriff sighed.

"Listen," he said, "I'm happy for you."

"You are?" Parrish asked. "Why?"

"Because you wanted to find out and now you have," the Sheriff said. "So, how do you feel?"

"Okay...I guess," Parrish said. "I don't know. I just feel like a completely different person...like it's not my life that I'm living."

"Yeah," the Sheriff said. "I know the feeling. Parrish, I need you to do something for me."

"Sure," Parrish said. "Anything."

"I know that you're new to all this and I know that you're scared," the Sheriff said, "but you can do something that I can't. Stiles...he's not supposed to be involved in all this. I mean, that sacrifice he did for that teacher brought my son to the brink of death and back. I really thought I was gonna lose him...and I can't bear to lose another member of my family."

Parrish crossed his arms and bit his lip. He knew where this was going.

"Parrish," the Sheriff said, "Scott's a great kid, but he's still just a kid. I need someone on my force looking out for my son...protecting him. Think you can do that for me?"

Parrish hesitated, but finally answered.

"Yeah, of course," he said.

"Thanks, Parrish," the Sheriff responded.

Parrish opened the door only to find Stiles and Lydia on the other side, standing a little too close. He knew they had been listening in on the whole conversation.

"So, you two okay?" Lydia asked.

"Yeah," Parrish said. "We're fine."

He gave them both a reassuring smile and started heading back to his desk. Halfway there, though, he turned around.

"Lydia. 8pm. My place."

Lydia nodded and Stiles raised his eyebrows and dropped his jaw. Lydia glared at Stiles, mentally scolding him for the thoughts that were no doubt going through his head. Parrish sat back down at his desk and got back to work. Stiles poked his head through the office door and said goodbye to his dad. He then led Lydia out to the parking lot to take her home. Parrish pulled out his cell phone and chose Lydia's name from his contact list. He typed in his address and pressed send. The next few hours couldn't go by fast enough.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lydia helps Parrish discover more about his past, his present, and his future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys don't even know how many hours of mythological research I did to make this chapter as accurate as possible! Hope you guys enjoyed this story! I LOVED writing it!

Parrish opened his front door to find a beautiful redhead standing in front of him.

"You wanted to see me?" Lydia asked.

"Yeah, come in," Parrish said with a smile on his face.

Lydia crossed the threshold and made her way into the living room. She admired Parrish's decorating style, simple and classic. She'd only been there a minute, but it already felt like home.

"So, what's up?" Lydia asked Parrish as he sat down next to her on the couch.

"I've been doing a lot of thinking today...about my life," Parrish said, "and how everything I thought I knew is a lie."

"Come on," Lydia said. "You don't really believe that."

"I don't know," Parrish said. "But I do know one thing: that, strangely enough, everything is starting to make sense."

Lydia smirked. She knew the feeling.

"There is something else that I need your help with, though," Parrish said.

"Sure," Lydia responded. "Anything."

Parrish got up and stood in front of Lydia, his hand outstretched.

"Come with me," he said.

Lydia grabbed his hand and followed him into his bedroom. He didn't turn on the lights, but instead, with his free hand, lit a candle that was on the dresser.

"Nice trick," Lydia said.

"Thanks," Parrish said. "I figured if I have these powers, they might as well be useful for something. But that's not what I wanted to show you."

He let go of Lydia's hand, opened up his closet, pulled out a drawer, and reached in. The object he held in his hands reminded Lydia of the Hale's mountain ash cylinder: same size and shape, but different texture and color. Parrish sat down on the bed. It was a while before he said anything. He just stared at the box. Finally, he spoke.

"This has been in my family for centuries," Parrish said. "Passed down over generations...and no really knows what it is. Just some family heirloom. But I know that it's something else, because...when I was 12 and my parents were out of the house, I went into their closet to attempt to find my Game Boy that they hid from me. They were punishing me for getting a bad grade on a test."

He chuckled, which made Lydia smile.

"But, instead of finding what I was looking for, I found this. And the scary thing was...it glowed...a bright red. I didn't think much of it back then, but when I decided to pack my things and get my first real place here in Beacon Hills after the military academy and the army, I asked my parents if I could take this with me, so I could one day pass it down to my kids. It's been in that drawer collecting dust for the past few months until last night when I got home from the lake house. For the first time in 12 years, it glowed again. I believe it has something to do with what happened last night."

"You mean your wings unfurling?" Lydia asked.

"Yeah, that," Parrish said and looked back down at the box. "Stiles told me you know Archaic Latin. How good are you with Egyptian hieroglyphics?"

"What?" Lydia asked and Parrish turned the box so that Lydia could see the writing on the other side.

She took it in her hand.

"Well," she said, studying it, "you came to the right girl."

She gave Parrish a smile and sat down next him on the bed.

"A fire within...have I come to warn.... From beneath the skin..." Lydia looked up at Parrish. "A phoenix reborn."

Chills ran down Parrish's spine.

"Wow," he said. "That's...not what I expected at all."

"Supernatural 101," Lydia said, "expect the unexpected."

He grabbed the box from Lydia and began twisting the lid as hard as he could. It wouldn't budge.

"Come on, stupid cinnamon," he growled.

"Wait!" Lydia said. "'Cinnamon'? As in cinnamon bark? As in what phoenixes use to build their nests before they...perish?"

Parrish turned toward Lydia, stunned.

"And Jordan, as in the Jordan River."

"But what does that have to do with anything?" Parrish asked.

"Do you know what the scientific name for the date palm is?" Lydia asked. "Phoenix dactylifera, named so because its seeds were said to never die. Long ago, there was a date palm forest that stretched all along the banks of the Jordan River. Both the phoenix and the date palm were referred to as 'bennu' by the Egyptians."

"How do you know all this?" Parrish asked, completely in awe.

"I've been doing some research," Lydia said. "Something else I read was that, like Deaton said, a phoenix can live for 500 years...but it can also live for 1461, which, now, would make a little more sense because hieroglyphics haven't been used since 400 AD."

Parrish's jaw dropped. He was absolutely speechless.

"My guess is that whoever your predecessor is...was...made this for you."

"But it doesn't open," Parrish said. "You don't know how many times I've tried."

"Why would a Phoenix make something any ordinary human can open?" Lydia asked. "Maybe you need a little...'fire within'?"

"You mean melt it open?" Parrish asked. "I can't! It's a family heirloom!"

"Do you want to know what's in there or not?" Lydia asked.

Parrish turned his attention back to the box. Hesitantly, he wrapped his palms around the lid and closed his eyes. Smoke started to rise from his hands. When he felt the lid become isolated from the rest of the box, he opened his eyes. He reached down and pulled out a gold ring with a red stone in the middle and a face carved into it. Lydia immediately recognized the stone as red jasper, which, not surprisingly, is connected to the element of fire.

"That's it?" Parrish asked. "A ring?"

"Don't you know who that is?" Lydia asked.

Parrish shook his head.

"When a phoenix rises from the ashes of its predecessor, it brings those ashes to the altar of the sun god in Heliopolis, a city in Egypt. That," Lydia said pointing to the ring, "is Helios, the Greek god for whom the city was named after."

Parrish studied the ring. After a few moments, he slowly slipped it onto his index finger. It glowed, as did Parrish's eyes. Lydia got up from the bed and stood in front of Parrish. It was her who was now speechless. Actually, she wasn't. She knew exactly what to say.

"'A phoenix reborn'," she uttered and leaned in, until her lips met his.


End file.
